Miracles Through Collective Faith

ומצינו בגמרא שליחידים נקרע הים כההוא דר' פינחס בן יאיר

We find in the Talmud that for individuals the sea split, as in the story of R. Pinḥas ben Ya’ir.

The Sefat Emet begins by noting that miracles like the splitting of the sea were granted even to righteous individuals, demonstrating that such a wonder is not unprecedented.

א"כ מה הפלא שנקרע הים לכל בנ"י.

If so, what is the wonder that the sea split for all of Israel?

Therefore, the question arises: if individuals merited this, why should the splitting for the entire nation be considered extraordinary?

אם כי אמת שבשעת קריעת ים סוף נשאר זה לדורות ג"כ.

Though it is true that at the time of the Splitting of the Sea, something remained for all generations as well.

The miracle had a lasting spiritual imprint, influencing later eras—but this still does not fully answer the question.

אף עפ"י כן י"ל עוד כי עיקר הנס הי' להיות נקרע אף לאותן שאמרו המבלי אין קברים

Nevertheless, one can further say that the essence of the miracle was that it split even for those who said, “Was it for lack of graves…?”

The novelty was not the miracle itself, but that it occurred for those who doubted, complained, and lacked faith.

כמ"ש במדרש שהיו ד' כתות בים.

As the Midrash states, there were four factions at the sea.

These groups had conflicting attitudes—despair, retreat, combat, or surrender—yet the miracle embraced them all.

ואעפ"כ נתברר שכלל ישראל מעלין השפלים ג"כ מטומאה לטהרה

And nevertheless it became clear that the community of Israel elevates even the lowly from impurity to purity.

The nation as a collective possesses a redemptive power that lifts even its weakest members.

והעצה ע"י ביטולם להכלל.

And the remedy is through their self-nullification to become included in the whole.

Inclusion in the collective identity of Israel purifies and uplifts, even when one's individual merits are lacking.

כמ"ש להם משה רבינו ע"ה שיחרישו ועי"ז יהיו נושעים גם כן:

As Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, told them: “Be silent,” and through this they too would be saved.

Silence meant surrendering their ego and aligning with the collective faith; this enabled their salvation.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that the true miracle of the Splitting of the Sea was not the supernatural event itself, but that it embraced even the doubters and complainers. Israel’s collective spiritual power lifts even its lowest members, and salvation comes through self-nullification and joining the community of faith.